The Love Struck Idiot
by Jamie Weasley
Summary: Although everyone else knows about the inescapable love between Ron and Hermione, they refuse to admit it. When another seems to be falling in love with her, a conflict is presented to Ron. Will he step up to the plate? R&H and H
1. Chapter 1

"Honestly Ron! It's as if you think those poor house elves are going to change their minds about breakfast and snatch your plate right out from under your nose," said Hermione Granger.  
  
Harry Potter gazed at an oblivious Ron Weasley, who was ravenously consuming his breakfast.  
  
Disapprovingly, Hermione tried to hold back her smile. "Then again, it might prove to be difficult as your mouth seems to be connected to your plate."  
  
Harry snorted approvingly into his glass of pumpkin juice.  
  
"Shut it, mate," said Ron, wiping away the remnants of his scrambled eggs off his chin as Harry continued to chuckle.  
  
It was a bright Tuesday morning in the Great Hall, and the beams of early sunlight were beginning to shine through the windows. The heads of their fellow Gryffindors turned toward the familiar sound of the arrival of the morning post. Hedwig, Harry's owl, flew towards him, dropping a copy of the Daily Prophet into Harry's bacon. Once she nipped at him affectionately and fluttered away, his eyes scanned the front page to familiarize himself with the current events in the wizarding world. Harry had made this a daily ritual ever since his last encounter with Voldemort almost a year ago. But he quickly shook his head, not allowing himself to dwell on this memory.  
  
"Any news?" asked Ron.  
  
Harry, submerged in his thoughts, jerked his head up at the sudden question. "Wha... what?"  
  
"About You-Know-Who."  
  
" Nothing," he answered with a slight head shake. "Aren't you ever going to say his name, Ron?" said Hermione. Not letting him answer, she turned to Harry consolingly. "Don't worry Harry. Voldemort - Oh Ron, stop flinching. It's been two years, get used to it!" she exclaimed as she saw Ron jump once more. "He's probably still very weak after what happened last year when-" She quickly cut off when she saw Harry wince at the mention of the horrific events of the prior year. It was still painful to think about.  
  
There was silence. Ron cleared his throat.  
  
"Er- um- 'Mione!" he said, glancing at the letter in her hands. "How are your parents? Things going well in the world of muggles?"  
  
Hermione's face immediately turned pink. "Actually, this letter's from Viktor."  
  
Harry glanced up at his two friends, praying that they weren't going to have silly row over this again. He could see that Ron was fighting the urge to insult the famous quidditch player who seemed to be writing increasingly long letters to Hermione every week.  
  
"Krum, of course, I should've figured," he said bitterly.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes, keeping her gaze fixed on the letter. "I don't see why you must persist in openly detesting my friendship with Viktor."  
  
"Isn't it obvious?" said Harry curtly. He (along with the whole of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry including its staff) was well aware of the inescapable love between his best friends who had refused to acknowledge it since their fourth year. He had often watched on the sidelines during that year. The look on Ron's face when he had seen Hermione accompanying Viktor to the Yule Ball Harry had not forgotten; clearly, Ron had feelings for Hermione. That same night, Harry's thoughts were confirmed when he had seen them fighting.  
  
"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?"  
  
"Oh yeah? What's that?"  
  
"Next time there's a ball, ask me first before someone else does, and not as a last resort!"   
  
Feeling the blank stares from Ron and Hermione, Harry jerked himself out of his reminiscing state and looked back and forth between the two of them. "Never mind," he said.  
  
Ron shrugged his shoulders as Hermione got up from the table and grabbed her book bag. "Well I'm going to study in the library before we have to go to Transfiguration."  
  
"What the bloody hell for?" said Ron. "Its the end of our last year, we've taken our N.E.W.T.s already!"  
  
"I, unlike you Ronald Weasley," she huffed, "wish to make the most of my time here at Hogwarts." Hermione bent down and kissed Harry and then Ron (for a second longer, Harry noticed) on the cheek and left with a quick, "See you!"  
  
Ron's face flushed like a love struck idiot. Harry groaned.  
  
"What?" asked Ron.  
  
"Why don't you just tell her?"  
  
"Tell her what?"  
  
"That you fancy her, of course."  
  
Ron began to choke on his sausage that he was in the process of swallowing. "Excuse me?" Ron said, once successfully gulping it down.  
  
"Oh, come off it Ron," said Harry. "Everyone knows that you two have loved each other for years."  
  
Ron's ears went red. "I - I have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
"All right, fine, have it your way," said Harry, exasperated. "Just let me tell you this. Year after year you've done nothing about it. It's the end of our seventh year and we're graduating in two weeks; maybe its time to stop waiting, and just do it." And with that, Harry stood from his seat and made his way toward Transfiguration, walking slowly to let his best friend catch up. 


	2. Chapter 2

Later that night, Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuggled up near the fire of the Gryffindor common room—Harry losing miserably against Ron in a game of Wizard's Chess, and Hermione sunken into an armchair with parchment in her lap and quill in hand.  
  
"Checkmate," said Ron, a look of triumph on his freckled face.  
  
"How did you -" Harry began to say, but he stopped, defeated. "Forget it," he said, too tired to even try to comprehend. "Why is it, exactly, that I even attempt to play against you?"  
  
"That, my friend, remains a mystery," laughed Ron. "Hey Hermione," he said, shooting her a lopsided grin, "why don't you come and play?"  
  
"Against the best Wizard's Chess player in Gryffindor, you must be joking." She shifted in her chair. "Besides, I'm in the middle of responding to Viktor's letter."  
  
Ron's smile faltered. "What does Vicky have to say this time?"  
  
Please, thought Harry. Not tonight.  
  
Hermione shot Ron a reproving glare. "For the last time, his name is Viktor, and I don't believe its any of your business what he says in his letters!"  
  
"Oh, so you don't want us to know? What if we want to know? Wouldn't you like to know Harry?"  
  
"I -"  
  
"Why are you suddenly so interested in my letters?"  
  
"Why won't you tell us what Vicky has to say?"  
  
Both Ron and Hermione were standing now, their eyes fixed on the other. Worried, Harry slowly made his way to calm his friends down. However, by the time he took one step toward them, Ron had snatched Hermione's letter from her hand, keeping it high out of her reach.  
  
"Ronald Weasley, how dare you! Give that back this instant!"  
  
Ignoring Hermione's profuse attempts to retrieve her letter, Ron unrolled the piece of parchment and read. Recognizing her defeat, Hermione stopped jumping to reach her letter and slumped back into her comfy chair. Hermione and Harry watched as Ron's face turned to a stoic hardness.  
  
"Hermione!" Ron yelled in shock. "This bloke wants to marry you!"  
  
Harry was taken aback. Krum wanted to marry Hermione?  
  
She paused. "Now Ron," she took a deep breath. "Don't jump to conclusions -"  
  
"Don't jump to conclusions?" said Ron furiously. "How could he be any more clear when he writes, 'I truly believe that you and I are soulmates. I wish sooner than later we may make our relationship an official union.'"  
  
Ron and Hermione were quiet, completely unaware that Harry was still standing right by them. After a long while, Hermione spoke up again. "So what if Viktor does want to marry me?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"If he does want to marry me, what are you going to do about it?"  
  
Bewildered, Ron looked anywhere but at Hermione. "I - I -"  
  
"Don't you ever invade my privacy like that again," she said coldly, jumping back up from her chair, seizing her letter from Ron's fisted hand, and storming toward the girl's dormitory.  
  
Not exactly looking forward to another tense morning followed by the usual Ron-and-Hermione row, Harry began putting the Wizard's chess set back in its box. Ron remained unmoved, his face unreadable.  
  
Stretching, Harry yawned. "Well, I better be off to -"  
  
"I'll marry her."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's what I'll do." Ron was speaking very slowly, his brain attempting to process an influx of emotions. "I'll... I'll marry her."  
  
Disbelief flooded Harry's mind. "You can't be serious."  
  
Ron was smiling now as he began pacing back and forth. "It's perfect. She'll never see it coming. Even you said I should do something about it. I've loved her for so long now. I could do it on graduation day. It will be the end of school, We'll be able to start our new lives together. I'm going to do this!" Ron stopped abruptly. He turned to an amused Harry. "I think I'm going to need your help."  
  
The bloody git's mad! thought Harry, striding down a corridor that led to the Owlery, a letter in his hand addressed to none other than Draco Malfoy. What was Ron thinking? This was never going to work. Harry and Malfoy had loathed each other for years. Even when they first met, just before their first year, Harry remembered being strongly reminded of his awfully horrid cousin, Dudley. Malfoy was the son of a one of Voldemort's followers, his Death Eaters. His father was also powerful in the Ministry of Magic, his malice matching his son's. Harry had never thought he would find a happier memory for the Patronus charm when Harry learned that Malfoy was transferring to Durmstrang, another European wizardry school, and that he would never see that slimy Slytherin walk the halls of Hogwarts again.   
  
And now Harry was sending him plea for his help, on Ron's command. Krum would have graduated three years ago, but due to being a member of the Bulgarian quidditch team, his studies had gotten behind so he was still in school when Malfoy arrived. Ron had the ingenious idea of asking Malfoy to keep an eye out on Krum, so that he would not steal Hermione away before Ron could confess his love to her and propose. Or so this was the plan, thought Harry as he shook his head vigorously, making an executive decision that this was definitely not a very good plan.  
  
Ron, wanting the proposal to be perfect, had also asked Harry if he could help pay for the engagement ring. Harry was delighted to help his best friend out, except that due to a curse put on his money, Harry could not spend large amounts of his fortune left by his dead parents until he turned eighteen, which would be soon, but not soon enough. Malfoy was fabulously wealthy, and could easily lend the money in time. Feeling that Malfoy could do with performing a little charity, Harry had decided to add that into the letter as well.  
  
He was now inside the circular room, containing the hundreds of hooting and flittering owls. Spotting brilliant white among the sea of tans and browns, he began to make his way over to Hedwig, but was soon disrupted by a clump of cotton balls, zooming happily about his head.  
  
"Pig!" yelled Harry in frustration. Ron's minute owl Pigwidgeon had a tendency to demand one's attention. "I can't use you. You're too small to deliver a letter all the way out to Durmstrang." Dejected, Pig flew back to his spot amidst the larger owls, dropping a few feet before regaining control of himself and floating back up again.  
  
Once Harry had knotted the scroll onto Hedwig's talon, he stroked her head softly. "You be careful out there." With a short "hoo" of affection, she took off, becoming a magnificent speck against the morning sky. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Ow!" Harry exclaimed in pain. He was eating his breakfast in the Great Hall along with Ron, Hermione, and Ron's younger sister Ginny.  
  
"Oh, Hedwig, it's you!" Having been slightly distracted by Ginny's story she was telling everyone, and Ginny's amazingly blue eyes, and the freckles sprinkled across her nose and cheeks, and her red hair flowing down her back, Harry had failed to notice that his owl, a week later, was back from her journey. Hedwig had impatiently nipped at his finger rather hard to get a hold of his attention. Tearing his eyes away from Ginny, her face animated while telling her story, Harry slowly opened the letter sent from "Sir Draco S. Malfoy," and, as discreetly as he could, began to read.  
  
_Dear Harry,  
  
I must admit, I was rather shocked (in a disgusted sort of way, of course) when I read your disgraceful attempt at groveling. I suppose I must have made a racket rolling on the floor in laughter, but that is not the point. Why I am even dignifying your existence to the extent of writing you a letter and considering your offer is almost beyond my reckoning. However, what is of interest to me may not please you, but it is the only way I will acquiesce to your proposition. If you fail to pay the loan on a negotiated date, I will hand you straight to the Dark Lord on a silver platter , and he will have his way with you. If the loan is paid, full and proper, then you may go on with your pitiful sliver of a life. It is your choice.  
  
Signed,  
  
Malfoy  
_

"Who's written you?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Oh, er -" stumbled Harry, looking at Ron. "It's - er - it's only Hagrid. He was just suggesting that I come visit him sometime soon to catch up." Hermione raised an eyebrow. Harry smiled nervously. "On things," he added pathetically.  
  
Quizzically, she looked at Ron, and then back to Harry. "But didn't you already -"  
  
"Oh, Hermione!" Ginny interrupted conveniently. "I forgot to tell you about what Professor Flitwick caught Sophie Rochester doing in Charms this morning!"  
  
Thankful that Hermione was stopped before she had the chance to interrogate him, Harry thought about what he had just read. He would be insane to agree to Malfoy's conditions. If he was not able to pay the loan in time and was taken to Voldemort, he knew he would die in a terrible, painful way. But why would he not be able to pay the money? Besides the curse, Harry had never had any problems with his savings. He also knew that Ron wished to give Hermione an exquisite engagement ring, to represent his love for her. Watching Ron watch Hermione, a smile lingering on his face as she bubbled up with laughter, Harry realized he could not let his friend down. This meant everything to Ron, and Harry wasn't going to get in the way and ruin it all.  
  
As the girls continued to gossip, Harry, his mind made up, caught Ron's eye (which proved to be rather difficult to draw his attention away from the girl of his dreams) and nodded. Ron casually nodded back to him, but Harry could tell that he was actually suppressing his excitement for the event that was going to change his life forever.

Stepping into the last corridor of the school that she had to check that night, Hermione quickly scanned it up and down to check for any students out of their common rooms. It was nearly midnight, and Hermione, being the responsible Head Girl that she was, had volunteered to patrol that night. She did not know why exactly. It was her very last day at Hogwarts and they had had their last end of the year feast earlier that evening. All of the Gryffindors had insisted that she attend the party in the Gryffindor common room, rather than "exercising her Head Girl duties," but she did not heed to their advice. She supposed that spending another night watching numerous girls throw themselves all over Ron as if he had put a love spell on each and everyone of them was not what she had in mind of "partying." But then again, Ron had mentioned to her that it would be "nice" if she showed her face sometime during the night. Hermione could have sworn that he had sounded different, or looked different; she knew something was different about him when he had spoken to her, she just could not place what it was. It was probably her imagination running wild, like it had done many times before. She had loved him for so many years now, but she knew that what her heart desired most would never come to be. Nevertheless, Hermione was very curious as to why Ron detested Viktor with such a passion, for it had forever puzzled her. She never really had feelings for him. She had humored him for a time, yes, but now they were strictly friends, except for the fact that Viktor did not seem to want to accept it. If Ron hadn't been such an insufferable prat a couple of weeks ago, Hermione would have explained to him that she was in the middle of writing Viktor his last letter, and that she was breaking off their correspondence.  
  
Hermione sighed as she climbed up a flight of stairs leading to the Gryffindor Tower. Somewhere hidden inside her, Hermione had always known that she had a lingering flicker of hope that she and Ron would get together. Back when she was a naive fourteen-year-old, she never would have thought that she would leave Hogwarts without the man of her dreams. Some things, she guessed, just aren't meant to be.  
  
Lost in her thoughts, Hermione suddenly found herself facing a vast painting of a snoozing fat lady dressed in all pink. She had to yell the password ("Humperdink") several times before the fat lady awoke from her slumber and let Hermione pass into the common room. When she involuntarily glanced at her surroundings, instead of filled with kids celebrating the end of another year, she was surprised to discover that the room was decorated with rose petals and alit with various floating candles. Confused, Hermione spun around, and found Ron standing by the staircase leading toward the boy's and girl's dormitories. For all that she could tell they were alone.  
  
"Ron, what happened to the party?" she asked. "I was certain that everyone would still be awake when I got back. And who arranged the petals and floating candles?"  
  
Ron took a step toward her. "I did."  
  
"But," Hermione began, astonished that he went to such efforts to make the common room look so wonderful, "What on earth for?"  
  
Coming closer still, Ron took her in his gaze, a look on his face she could not read. "For you," he said simply.  
  
Her mind instantly going blank, Hermione's feet were glued to the floor in shock. "N-now Ron," she stuttered, "don't - don't be silly - I know that -" she was cut off by Ron's finger pressed against her lips.  
  
"'Mione," he said, grinning (That Weasley grin, she thought vaguely). "You're babbling." She gave him a weak smile. Ron continued, now very close to Hermione. "I need you to listen to me. I've been thinking a lot about what you said to me two weeks ago, that night here in front of the fire. You asked me what I would do if you..." Ron hesitated. "If you were to marry," he finished. "I know I was a prat and neglected to answer you at the time. But I've been thinking, and I know now what I would do." Ron, fiddling with something in his pocket, pulled out a small black box. Hermione's breath caught in her throat. The box slowly opened before her eyes. It was a ring.  
  
"Amber," explained Ron timidly. "To match your eyes."  
  
"Ron..." she whispered.  
  
Awkwardly, Ron got down on one knee. "Hermione, I love you. I know this is sudden, but I always have. I love the way you bite your lip when read a book. I love how your hair frizzes out every which way. I love that you are the only person who can get under my skin the way you do, and I love that when I look at you, I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"  
  
"Oh Ron," said Hermione, tears streaming down her face. "Yes."  
  
"You'll marry me?" Ron said tentatively.  
  
"Yes!"  
  
They both burst into laughter, and as Ron slipped the ring onto her finger, a loud noise erupted from the depths of the room. They were suddenly surrounded by a small crowd of people cheering at the top of their lungs, including the tear streaked faces of Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan whooping with joy, and even Professor McGonagall, tissue in hand. Overwhelmed by all of people who had appeared from behind chairs, under tables, and inside the fireplace, Hermione spotted Harry who was standing side by side with Ginny and glowing with happiness for her and Ron. From the throng of Gryffindors, someone yelled, "So kiss her already!"  
  
And so Ron did. 


	4. Chapter 4

Inside the sitting room of the extravagant Malfoy manor, Draco sat with his father, laughing at the picture of the muggles on the front page of the Daily Prophet. The confused muggles watched their wedding cake float from the table to on top of the groom's head.  
  
"Good one Draco." Lucius Malfoy laughed pompously at his son's ingenious prank. The Malfoys took great pride in the fact that they were a wealthy pure blood family; their family consisted of only wizard born people. They believed that they were superior to muggles, and muggle born wizards and witches. Mr. Malfoy sighed. "If only you could cause humiliation like such to that Potter boy."  
  
"Father, you are aware that I helped that Weasel propose to the mudblood?"  
  
"Yes my dear boy. I assume he will be repaying you for your unnecessary efforts?"  
  
"Of course Father. Five hundred galleons. The due date for this payment is drawing near."  
  
"Excellent." Mr. Malfoy's mouth curled into a venomous grin. "A visitor shall be paying a visit to Mr. Potter's vault at Gringotts Bank."  
  
"Really..." Draco's face modeled the look on his father's.  
  
"Yes. I'm surprised you haven't thought of this before Draco. We shall simply have Doler take care of it."  
  
"Doler?" Draco asked his father.  
  
"I've found us a new house elf. Dobby was such a disappointment. Doler is a former house elf from the kitchens from Durmstrang. Unlike the ungrateful house elves at Hogwarts, Doler has no complaints."  
  
"That's wonderful Father," said Draco as his venomous smile turned into a look of confusion. "And what is it again that Doler will be taking care of?"  
  
"Draco, Draco, Draco," Mr. Malfoy sighed. "Doler will simply clean out the majority of Potter's vault. Without his generous amount of galleons, the poor boy will have no choice but to surrender to you." Mr. Malfoy laughed spitefully.  
  
"You're right Father. Soon, the Dark Lord will have him. Potter must face the murderer of his parents once again. But this time, he shall not return."

* * *

Walking down the streets of Hogsmeade, Harry and Ginny made their way towards Madam Puddifoots. Inside the quaint tea shop, they sat down at a window seat facing the bustling street. Harry gazed out at the picturesque village; the grounds glistened with the first rain of the fall. From the window he could see the sun breaking through the clouds, and a colourful rainbow connecting the earth to the sky.  
  
"It seemed as though this would be such a dreary day, with the rain and all," said Ginny, "but it hasn't. It's rather beautiful. Don't you think so Harry?"  
  
"Yeah." Harry reached across the table and took hold of her hand.  
  
Her eyes sparkling with beauty, Ginny smiled back at him. "Isn't it wonderful, Ron and Hermione getting married?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"It's all like a fairy tale." He nodded, eyes turning downwards to stare at the table.  
  
"Are you alright Harry? You've never been this quiet." Ginny's brow furrowed in concern. "  
  
"Sorry Gin, I've just been a little side tracked recently." Breathing deeply, Harry removed his glasses and rubbed his emerald green eyes. "I have to pay back Malfoy the five hundred galleons within the next three days. I'm not exactly sure what, but this whole situation doesn't seem quite right. I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but isn't odd that Malfoy agreed to help us?"  
  
"Stop worrying Harry. We can go to Gringotts right after we have something to eat," Ginny offered. "Just try to relax. Once you've finished the deal, you'll see that everything's fine."  
  
"You wouldn't mind going now? Are you sure?" Harry's gaze returned to the table. He felt as though every moment he spent with Ginny somehow transitioned into planning and preparing for Ron and Hermione's wedding. "No, forget it. I'll wait until tomorrow. Today was supposed to be devoted to the two of us."  
  
"Harry. It's fine. You'll be able to enjoy the day more if you're not constantly worrying about this. Plus as long as I'm with you, I don't care what we do." Ginny smiled.  
  
Harry relaxed. He always enjoyed being with Ginny. Her comforting smile, her adorable laugh; Harry knew he was falling for her. He knew very well that Ginny had strong feelings for him too. Ever since his second year at Hogwarts:  
  
At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, red-headed figure in a long night dress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.  
  
"Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Harry. "My sister. She's been talking about you all summer."  
  
Harry chortled out loud.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked Ginny.  
  
He tried to swallow up his laughter. "Oh, nothing." But from the demanding look in her eye, Harry thought better of himself and explained. "I was just remembering the first time we saw each other. You had such an infatuation with me. Well, more with "The Boy Who Lived", really. Who would've known that four years later, we would start dating one another."  
  
"Who would've known? Harry, when I met you, I was convinced that I was in love. In my mind, we were destined to be together."  
  
Harry's cheeks turned a rosy pink.  
  
A waitress gracefully floated over to the couple. "Can I get you two anything?"  
  
"Ginny, what would you like?" asked Harry gentlemanly.  
  
"I'll just have a pumpkin coffee," replied Ginny.  
  
"Make that two pumpkin coffee's, please."  
  
"Anything else?" asked the waitress.  
  
"That will be all, thanks." As the she returned to the kitchen, Harry and Ginny locked eyes again. He gave her a nervous smile before looking away. He was contemplating something that was making his hands uncomfortably sweaty. Having thought about it for a long while, Harry had just made up his mind when the waitress inconveniently returned with their coffee. Suppressing a groan, he waited until her gliding figure had hovered away before he cleared his throat.   
  
Ginny looked up. "Did you... want to say something?"  
  
"Um...," said Harry, fiddling with the tablecloth, "Ginny..." he said slowly, "I- I love you."  
  
"Really?" said Ginny, surprised.  
  
"Well...yeah," he responded. The two laughed.  
  
Ginny radiated with glee. "I love you too Harry." 


	5. Chapter 5

By the time the clock struck three, Harry and Ginny had entered the cold, marble, hall of Gringotts. Approaching the desk at the far end of the room, Harry's hand earnestly searched the contents of his pocket. "Merlin, I think I've lost my key." Frustrated, he stopped in his tracks and let go of Ginny's hand to more thoroughly search with both hands. Heart racing his fingertips ached for the feel of metal in his hand. With an exasperated sigh, Ginny reached for her wand. Aiming it at Harry's left hand pocket, she uttered, "Retrievo." Not a moment later, Harry's hand emerged with a golden key in his grasp. "Sorry Harry, but I told you not to do your laundry at my house. Stupid gits they are, Fred and George. I should've remembered this one. It's the 'Never Ending Pocket' as they like to call it. The victim's hand won't find the item within the pocket until many hours later unless the counterspell is said. They've been testing this and others on Ron and me. It's been great fun!" she said with in an exaggerated tone. "Harry, you should feel honored to be included in the torture," she said sarcastically. With a sigh of relief he handed his key to the goblin behind the desk who climbed down from his stool with very little ease; after all, goblin's are only three feet tall. They followed the waddling goblin toward the damp corridor of vaults. Stepping into the cart first, Harry stuck out his hand and helped Ginny down into the seat next to him.  
  
When they reached vault one hundred and twenty seven, the goblin inserted the key. A profuse number of latches and locks could be heard releasing from inside the door before it swung open. Once they'd stepped inside, Ginny quickly grabbed hold of Harry's arm. For once in his life, Harry was speechless. His vault, once overflowing with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts contained only a small amount of money huddled far back in the shadows of the corner. "My money..." he whispered. Harry's mind raced in circles, frantically searching for something logical in the situation. He felt as if his world had gone black, as if the ground beneath his feat had disintegrated into oblivion.   
  
"Harry, I-I..." she stammered.  
  
"Ginny," said Harry shakily, "I have to leave." The reality of the situation was taking a hold of him.  
  
"What?" she exclaimed. "You can't leave!"  
  
"I have to Gin. I can't pay my debt. Malfoy, he'll take me to Voldemort straight away." Harry was panicking now, dozens of fears racing through his head at once. "If I stay, I'll just endanger the people around me, Ron, Hermione, you -"  
  
"Harry -"  
  
"They'll find me, somehow they'll find me, they'll hunt down the people I love -"  
  
"Shh... No, it's alright -"  
  
"I - I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they took you - took you away- if they hurt you-"  
  
"Harry." Ginny was much closer to him now. Her hand brushed his hair out of his eyes and outlined the lightening bolt scar on his forehead, sending a shiver up his spine. Her eyes studied the details of his face. "We're going to work everything out. We just need some help," she said reassuringly. "I'm here, okay?"  
  
Harry, slightly embarrassed at his explosion of worry, looked at his feet.   
  
"Look at me, Harry." Ginny lifted his chin with her forefinger and met his uncertain eyes. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"Oh Harry!" Hermione exclaimed after hearing his dilemma.  
  
"Malfoy's always desired to see to my death that should have occurred eighteen years ago," concluded Harry. "Now he's got his chance."  
  
"Don't think that Harry." said Hermione. "We won't let anything happen to you."  
  
Ron stood completely still from shock. From Harry's point of view, Ron looked exactly like a person in a muggle picture; not waving ecstatically at the camera like a witch or wizard, but remaining rock solid.  
  
"I'm so sorry, mate," said Ron. "I never should have asked for your help."  
  
Harry shook his head. "Ron, stop, its not your fault. You didn't steal the money." Harry ran his hands through is hair, laying his head in his hands. "I just need to figure out what to do."  
  
"Well..." Hermione spoke up, "I could pay for it."  
  
Harry and Ron blinked.  
  
"Actually, I'll pay one thousand galleons." Hermione looked back and forth at her astonished friends. "Malfoy wouldn't be able to decline that large of a proposal."  
  
"Hermione, where on earth would you get a thousand galleons?" demanded Ron.  
  
At this Hermione blushed. " Er, remember the N.E.W.T.'s?" she responded.  
  
"Oh, don't remind me." Ron groaned as he recalled the excruciatingly difficult exams all seventh years at Hogwarts must take. "I couldn't think straight for a whole week because of those bloody things."  
  
"Well, I sort of got the highest scores in Hogwarts History," she said sheepishly.  
  
"You WHAT?!" exclaimed Ron.  
  
"Hermione, why didn't you tell us?" asked Harry with an encouraging smile.  
  
"Frankly, I felt I should have kept my scores private, rather than parade them around to everyone like a supercilious valedictorian."  
  
"A super silly vala-what?"  
  
"Oh, never mind. Anyway, I was rewarded with a thousand galleons which I have yet to find a use for."  
  
"Hermione, I - " Harry started.  
  
Inexorable, she held out her hand firmly in front of him. "Don't you even start with me Harry James Potter. I'm going to help you pay the debt with interest and you cannot stop me."  
  
Ron came up from behind Hermione, snaking his arms around her waist. "You are one hell of a woman," he said with a grin.  
  
Harry, though very gracious, was not entirely convinced. "But Malfoy would never give up this chance to see to me dead. I don't see him ever taking the money."  
  
"How 'bout if that nasty git doesn't accept it, I'll punch his lights out?" suggested Ron eagerly.  
  
"Just relax Harry," said Hermione. "You always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Just trust us, we'll take care of it."  
  
Relieved, Harry felt muscles relax in places he had not realized were tense. "I don't know how to thank you Hermione..." Returning from the office having written to her parents to inform them of the current situation, Ginny slipped her hand into Harry's. Closing his weary eyes, he breathed in a sigh of relief, and welcomed the familiar touch of her soft hand in his. 


	6. Chapter 6

  
  
Harry awakened. Everything in his mind was blank; he had no memory of where he was or why he was there. As he stared at his surroundings through his cracked glasses, he felt the stone cold floor on which he lay. He quavered as he attempted to stand up, but realized his attempts were in vain, for he was restrained by a binding spell. A foul odor reached his nostrils and traveled down his throat, leaving Harry to double up and cough. The air felt putrid against his cheek. A pair of hands gripped his aching body and lifted him onto his feet. Harry's knees buckled as he struggled to maintain his balance. He recognized a high, heartless, chilling laugh. Lifting his head, he looked into the face of Voldemort, and immediately Harry's scar seared in pain.  
"Oh, is it too painful for the Boy Who Lived to look into the eyes of his parents murderer?" Voldemort taunted.  
Facing him once more, Harry saw that Voldemort was sitting on some sort of throne, engraved with dozens of snakes. Harry spit blood onto the floor by the feet of Voldemort's robes. "You seem overly cocky for a dark lord who has failed in trying to kill me five times."  
Voldemort's confidence faltered and he sneered at him. "Bite your tongue boy, or I'll have cut it off for you. Crucio!"  
Writhing on the floor, pain like thousands of white-hot knives pierced Harry's body. As soon as it had come upon him, it stopped, leaving his voice hoarse from the screaming.  
"Now," said Voldemort lazily. "I suppose that you wish for me to unbind you."  
"That might be nice," said Harry coolly.  
With a wave of Voldemort's hand, Harry was granted the use of his hands and legs. "Sadly, you left your wand behind. Disappointing, really. I would have enjoyed watching another episode of your poor dueling skills."  
Harry quickly lifted himself to his feet. "Don't need a wand," he said with a smirk, and began to demonstrate his newly perfected skill of wandless magic. Within a second, Voldemort was launched across the room and had landed in a heap against the wall.  
"That, Harry my boy," said Voldemort as he rose to his feet, "was most unwise." He pointed his wand at Harry. "Crucio!"  
For a second time, Harry felt the excruciating torture of the Cruciatus Curse. Once it was over, Harry's body was so weak that he wretched and could not get up again.  
"You call me 'cocky,' Harry Potter," he heard Voldemort say, "When you lay here, confident that your little friends are going invent some perfectly ingenious plan to rescue their hero?"  
Voldemort stopped. Before him and Harry suddenly stood a deer and a tiger. But in the blink of an eye there were no longer a deer and a tiger, but Hermione and Ron.  
"Actually," said Hermione, "That's a pretty good guess."  
"Not - not animagi?"questioned Voldemort in absolute disbelief.  
Harry, quickly stood up. "The best."  
"Harry!" yelled Ron, holding up Harry's wand. Instinctively, Harry held out his hand and his wand flew toward him instantaneously. Reacting straight away, Harry pointed his wand directly at Voldemort and said "Accio wand!"  
Voldemort's wand now in Harry's possession, he whispered an incantation, in which it became nothing but a thin wisp of smoke as echoes of screams could be heard on the air.  
Voldemort, nearly powerless besides his wandless magic, threw Ron and Hermione across the room in a furious rage as he charged toward Harry. But Harry was too quick. His wand was instantly pointed at Voldemort's chest and he froze in his tracks.  
"Harry... you... you wouldn't kill me..."  
"Watch me."  
"Harry...."  
"No," Harry's wand remained still. "You killed my parents. You killed Cedric. It is because of you that Sirius is dead. You have also killed hundreds more. Ever felt what it's like to have your life stolen from you? I think it is time for you to learn. May you forever be known as The One Who Died at the hand of The Boy Who Lived. Avada Kedavra!"  
Never was Voldemort seen again. 


	7. Chapter 7

Hey Guys!!! Sorry it took us so long to update..... way too long.... but its here now! Enjoy! PLEASE REVIEW!

Ron, dressed in a sleek black wedding cape, nervously awaited his bride. He gazed out at the audience. Neville Longbottom, Parvati Patil, Mad Eye Moody; many familiar faces caught his eye. Realizing he looked as though he was staring into the face of a monstrous spider, Ron instantly pasted a smile to his face. He looked at his best man; Harry's jet-black hair appeared its usual untidy self.  
The orchestra director tapped his stand, and the musicians raised their instruments. The melodic tune of Canon in D could be heard all throughout the park, from the last row of chairs, all the way to the gazebo; with greenery draping down gracefully, bouquets of flowers placed accordingly, and roses surrounding it, the gazebo was the perfect setting for the perfect wedding. At the end of the aisle, the wedding procession began. The bride's maids, dressed in beautiful silk, gracefully walked up to the front. Following the bride's maids, Ron could see his niece, Priscilla, tossing rose petals on the ground as she walked. As the orchestra concluded their piece, the wedding march began. Hermione, in a flowing white wedding gown, appeared at the end of the aisle with her father. Ron's heart fluttered as he watched his gorgeous bride come towards him. This was the day he had been looking forward too for so many years.  
When they reached the gazebo Hermione's father kissed her on the cheek before she handed off her bouquet to her maid of honor, Ginny.  
Dumbledore began to speak. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony."  
In the audience Mrs. Weasley burst into tears of joy.  
"Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?" Dumbledore asked.  
Hermione's father responded proudly, "Her family and friends gathered here today do."  
Dumbledore nodded and continued. "This relationship stands for love, loyalty, honesty and trust, but most of all for friendship. Before they knew love, they were friends, and it was from this seed of friendship that is their destiny. Marriage is an act of faith and a personal commitment as a moral and physical union between two people. It is the construction of their love and trust into a single growing energy of life that can be described as marriage. It is amoral commitment that requires and deserves daily attention. Marriage should be a life long consecration of the ideal of loving kindness- backed with a will to make it last forever."  
As Dumbledore neared the end, not a dry eye was left in the audience. He turned to Ron. "Do you Ronald Weasley take Hermione Granger to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish her and continually show her your love, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"  
With a smile from ear to ear, Ron responded, "I do."  
Turning to Hermione, Dumbledore asked, "Do you Hermione Granger take Ronald Weasley to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish her and continually show her your love, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"  
"I do," replied Hermione. All the heads in the audience turned to see Ron's nephew, David, approach with the rings.  
Taking Hermione's ring, Ron began, "You are now consecrated to me as my wife from this day forward. I give you this ring as a token of my love and symbol of our unity. With this ring, I thee wed." He slid the ring onto Hermione's finger. She smiled lovingly at him.  
Holding Ron's ring, Hermione said, "You are now consecrated to me as my husband from this day forward. I give you this ring as a token of my love and symbol of our unity. With this ring, I thee wed." Hermione followed suit and slid the ring onto Ron's finger.  
Mrs. Weasley continued to wail.  
"In as much as Ron and Hermione have consented together in marriage before this company of family and friends and have pledged their faith- and declared their unity by giving and receiving a ring- are now joined. And now by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."  
Ron placed his arms around Hermione and kissed her. A flood of emotion came over everyone from the newlyweds to the entire audience. When they broke apart, the audience applauded joyously. Swooping her off her feet Ron carried her down the aisle.

At the reception, Ron and Hermione prepared for their honeymoon to Venice. As they approached the banister, all the women awaited the toss of the bouquet. Hermione turned her back to them and tossed the bouquet of flowers over her head to the anxious women below. Spinning around quickly, Hermione watched Ginny Weasley catch the bouquet. Harry, standing nearby, caught Ginny's eyes and smiled.  
Hermione turned to her husband. "I love you Ron. Ever since I was a little girl I've imagined this day. You are more than I could ever-" she stopped as she gazed into the eyes of the man of her dreams.  
Ron leaned in and kissed her.

The End


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